Terri Such should be the poster child for getting regular mammograms.

While Such, 67, had her first such test in her 30s, she figured because no females in her extended family had been diagnosed with breast cancer, she didn’t have to worry about it.

But the Lawrence County woman decided to have one in August 2022 even though she did not have a lump or other symptom of the disease — which affects one in eight American women, according to the National Cancer Institute.

“I just felt I should get one more to make sure everything was good,” Such said.

That started a journey Such and her family did not expect.

Doctors at Independence Health System Women’s Imaging Center at the Crossroads Campus called Such to report that because of dense breast tissue, she needed another mammogram.

That test prompted doctors to recommend another test in six months, which then showed a 1-centimeter lobular tumor on Such’s left side.

Doctors ordered a biopsy, but Such and her family had a seaside vacation planned, so she put it off until she returned home.

“You can’t go in the water after a biopsy,” Such explained.

The biopsy, taken the first week of March, revealed a slow-growing cancer that doctors said should be removed.

“My daughter is actually a nurse, so she checked to see which one would be best for me,” Such said. “We got a surgeon at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.”

Prior to the surgery, Such had genetic testing that found she does not have the female cancer gene. She also had an MRI of both breasts.

The MRI revealed two small growths in her right breast that were noncancerous, but also were removed during her surgery on the left-side tumor.

The surgery took place just before Memorial Day weekend at UPMC Passavant Cranberry, Such said.

Although the cancer had not affected her lymph nodes, she had 20 radiation treatments at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, at Independence Health System’s Benbrook Road campus, to ensure the cancer was eradicated.

“I’d go in and lay down, and I didn’t feel anything,” Such said. “I was on the table for less than 10 minutes.”

She was relieved that she did not require chemotherapy.

“A lot of people are worse off than me,” Such said. “I feel lucky.”

After her diagnosis, Such reached out to a few breast cancer survivors she knows, but none wanted to talk about their journey.

Then she found the Butler Breast Cancer and Women's Cancer Support Group, which has been facilitated for more than 20 years by Cheryl Schaefer.

“She was wonderful,” Such said. “You can call her anytime just to talk.”

She said Schaefer also informed her that a foundation would pay a portion of her $225 per-treatment copays.

Schaefer, herself a breast cancer survivor, said women who are newly diagnosed call her with feelings of fear and confusion.

She said Such asked questions like what to expect and what to do and not do to make treatment easier.

“A lot of the questions are the same for a lot of the girls,” Schaefer said.

She told Such to call anytime and asked her to let her know how treatments were going.

Schaefer said Such complied, calling her now and then to report on her treatment progress.

“The wonderful thing about being in contact with someone who has gone through it is that we form this bond other people can’t share,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer has stayed in touch with Such and many other survivors over the years.

Schaefer recalled an instance when a woman with a unique accent called her later in the evening after finding the support group online.

Eventually, Schaefer asked the woman where she got her accent.

“She was calling from South Africa,” Schaefer said. “She had absolutely no one to talk to and she felt so alone.”

Schaefer said the woman was in her late 20s or early 30s, and had to travel several hundred miles for cancer treatment, but she is now healthy.

“We are still in touch,” Schaefer said.

Such is outspoken about every woman having their recommended mammograms to catch any changes early, and to listen to their bodies and intuition.

“I was sitting next to a lady in radiology, and she said her breast just didn’t feel right, so she insisted on a mammogram,” Such said. “They found cancer in her breast and lymph node and she had to have her breast removed.

“If you think there is something wrong, go to your doctor. It doesn’t matter what age you are.”

To schedule a mammogram at Independence Health System Women’s Imaging Center, call 724-284-4000 or consult your doctor.